Ambose's Brain
by RottenLullaby
Summary: Glitch is reunited with his brain and his memories, but are their more things he'd like to forget then remember now that he's whole again? CG, slash
1. Chapter 1

D.G. held hand Glitch's. "You'll be fine, you're going to be reunited with your brain. You'll remember everything you forgot… just like I did."

Glitch smiled a bit nervously, "That's what I'm afraid of." He said, looking beyond her into the past at something he couldn't grasp. "I just, I'm afraid if I remember what I knew... I'll forget who I am now. I don't know who this 'Ambrose' is anymore... is it really even me?"

D.G. kissed Glitch's cheek. "You'll always be Glitch to me. Remember, who you are comes from your heart and soul... not your head." Glitch nodded, "You're right." He went into the alchemist's surgery room and prepared to be reunited with his marbles.

"Now count back from 100…"

"_Yes, this is it my greatest invention yet! One that will make the harvest even more fruitful for the O.Z. Your Majesty, may I exhibit to you…The Sun-seeder!" Ambrose presented his Queen with a tiny model and blueprints. "See, what it does is focus the Sun's rays to give us a little extra growing time." The Queen laughed, "Oh, it's brilliant Ambrose, just like you. It will do great work on the fields of the Papay." _

_He bowed low, "Anything to help the O.Z., Your Majesty."_

"_Now, Ambrose, since you only have half a brain, you're no use to me. Zero, turn him lose... let him wander…He'll never remember who he is or what he was once. My poor, powerful Ambrose, such a faithful advisor for my mother now reduced to idiocy."_

"_Glitch! My name is Glitch! Please, I'm not a spy! No! Please…No. Oh... it hurts…please... no, no, no…"_

Ambrose's head was pounding... but he heard the voices calling to him, so familiar.

"Ambrose, my advisor, are you awake?" It was the Queen's voice. He opened his eyes to see them - the Royal Family, his family - all standing around his bed, He sat up, looking for the one pair of eyes that he wanted but didn't see.

"Oh Glitch, I'm so glad you're okay! Do you feel any different?" D.G. said, wrapping him into a big hug.

"No, D.G., I feel… fine. Just a little shaky."

The queen nodded and hastened D.G. and Az out, "We'll leave you to rest, Ambrose. If you feel up to it we're having a banquet tonight in honor of everyone's great fight to save the O.Z." Ambrose nodded and watched as the Queen and her two daughters quietly went out of the room. Ambrose laid back down against the fluffy pillows and fixated on the other pair of eyes that were missing in the room.

Ambrose was made ready for the Banquet in a fine outfit, his hair had been beaten back in a slick style and he sat at the Queen's right, King Ahamo was to her left and the Princesses DG and Azkadellia were at his other side. The rest of the gang was also there, lined up along the table -Wyatt Cain now re-instated in his Tin-Man's uniform and Raw looking quite tamed.

The Queen was holding her court, happily telling everyone of the "Great Quest" to save the O.Z. and how her trusted advisor had shut down the machine of darkness and her "angel" had saved her sister from the great witch. "Without them, we would be living under the power of the Witch's Darkness." Everyone at the Queen's table clapped - the feast had begun. After the dinner, the Queen held a ceremony knighting Wyatt Cain, Raw and Ambrose for their great bravery in saving the O.Z. She gave a special award to D.G. for her compassion in saving her sister from the clutches of the Witch and her hand in finding the Emerald of the Eclipse. Once the Ceremony was over everyone broke into the Great Ball Room for a dance.

Ambrose watched as the Queen and her daughters fell into their roles as the ruling family so well... Ambrose, however, after 15 annuals without his memories and now 15 annuals of new ones to add to that, had much to make sense of. He felt like two halves of one incomplete person. Ambrose, who was never a wallflower at a ball until today, stood by the throne, watching. He caught a glimpse of Cain across the room walking toward him smile on his face. He crossed the distance quickly with his long stride and stood next to the stoic feeling Ambrose, smiling warmly. "I thought you were full of rhythm Glitch - I'm sorry, Ambrose. Why aren't you out there celebrating with the rest of the royalty?" Ambrose didn't meet Cain's expression. "I just don't feel like dancing... I have so much to remember, yet so much I wish to forget." Cain nodded "Well I'm here if you want to talk, Ambrose. We are still friends after all." Ambrose looked forward. "Right. Friends." They stood there in silence, watching the dancers glide about the floor.

Later that night, after the ball was over, Ambrose was fiddling with the HDTL, using it to play a scene he didn't want to forget.

"Hey, Glitch, I owe you one."

"You know, with your issues of masculinity and what we call the 'boy scout syndrome'-"

"Glitch, shut up. Come here." Glitch couched down next to Cain.

"Yes, Sweetheart?" Glitch asked, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

Cain kissed Glitch's cheek "Thanks."

There was a knock at the door and Ambrose shut off the machine. "Glitch?" It was D.G., "I just wanted to, um, well… Cain is leaving for Central City tomorrow... I thought you might like to come with me to see him off."

Ambrose smiled "No, D.G., I don't think so, I need to be here, with the Queen. There is much still to be put to rights, and we have to think about readying you and Azkadellia for your eventual rise to the throne. Mr. Cain will be back in time. I have to do my part as Royal Advisor."

DG frowned, "Okay, Gl-Ambrose, if that's how you feel about it. Goodnight."

Ambrose led D.G. out the door "Goodnight, Princess."


	2. Chapter 2

Ambrose didn't sleep well at all that night, it seemed that every time his brain shut off, the memories he tried to suppress came flooding back like a tidal wave ready to crush him with everything they had. When he slept all he could do was dream of the past it seemed.

"_Ambrose, this… we must keep our secret. I love him and I can't bear to have him leave me because of something that happened in the past. We are to be married in the spring… I know that the child will come quick, but it should not make much difference. Promise me, you will not... leave me too. After all, what happened, it was only a mistake of two young fools and cannot happen again." Ambrose looked into the lovely lavender depths of his Queen, his light, the ruler of the O.Z., his Glenda as he knew her in private. _

"_Yes, My Queen, I'll keep it from Ahamo. He will never know of your past… transgressions and you may raise this child as if it were your own. I will stay as your Royal Advisor as always intended." The Queen wrapped her arms around her most trusted Advisor, as they stood under the green gazebo by the swing in the great and beautiful Finaqua hideaway. _

"_Thank you, Ambrose. I knew you would not abandon me."_

"_Please Azkadellia, I know you want the plans for the Sun Seeder, but think about what you are doing. Doesn't some part of you still care for your mother and this world?" _

_Azkadellia studied the tall, most wizened advisor carefully. He was pleading, something she had never seen him do. She has seen him create marvels, read, dance, laugh. But never plead, never look this scared in all of his long life. _

"_Why, my dear Ambrose…are you afraid? I have never seen you afraid. At least let me give you reason to fear. Do you know what my plans are for this land you love so much?" She stepped up so she was in his face, smiling her twisted grin. "I will bring darkness to all of the O.Z. using your great mind and the power of the emerald. Since there is no one with the power left to stop me… The O.Z. will soon be mine."_

"_Please, my daughter... don't do this…" Ambrose said, his head falling. "I know there is some good part of you left." Az looked at him with a questioning glare._

"_Daughter? I am not your… No, it's not possible." She turned away. "The Queen and her most trusted, loyal servant…secrets... she had so many. One day I will rid her of all of them. Take him to the Alchemist. Remove his brain... we must put our plan into action post-haste."_

"_Glitch, No matter what happens in there, no matter what you see when Raw connects you to your brain, you shut down the machine. Got me?" Cain said before they made their way into the Cerberus tower ._

"_Right." Glitch said, nodding. _

"_Good. I may still need some dance lessons after all this is over, so… faster we get this machine shut off, the faster we can go back to normal." Cain said._

"_Hah. Normal. With all the stress we've suffered from all of this, I doubt any of us will ever be normal again. I mean, think of all the mental syndromes we could all be suffering from right now - not to mention the most likely onset of post-traumatic stress disorder."_

Ambrose woke and shook his head of the plaguing memories, trying to forget. He now remembered why it hurt him so much when Cain smiled in his direction… made subtle friendly flirtations. He looked at the scar running down the middle of his scalp in the mirror and cast his eyes downward. With his brain back, he could remember all the scars crisscrossing his heart too, and it hurt.

He got dressed, reminding himself today was Cain's day to leave for Central City, so he decided to take residence in the library. He sat in his old familiar leather chair and picked up a book on the workings of modern science and began to lose himself in the many formulas and complications presented to him by the text. He didn't know how long it was before a presence in the room awoke him from his thoughts. "Ambrose?" A voice said quietly. It was Azkadellia, looking happy but almost lost in her newfound princess role. "Can I talk to you?" She said, sitting down across from him in a chair.

"Sure." He said, closing the book. "What about?"

"Well, it's about what you said to me… before; when I was sorceress, about being my father." She had her hands folded in her lap and was not looking up, the emerald which was always hanging around her neck now glowing a faint green. Ambrose looked steadily at his daughter, now returned to her normal state. She was back... but still not whole. Rather like him, a fragile incomplete person.

"Yes, it was the truth, if that's what you want to know. I am your birth-father. Your mother and I… well, we made a mistake before Ahamo arrived and when she married him, she decided it was best not to tell him."

Azkadellia nodded, she understood what it must have been like, to have to bear that burden. "I'm glad that even though you were possessed… you grew up to be such a strong woman. You could have let the witch take you completely, you know."

Az looked at him. "I know. I never… I never wanted to lose my family... my real family. That's why I couldn't kill you, even when the witch told me it would be better for me to. I think I always knew that you were my real father." She stood up to go. "Thank you Ambrose, for watching out for me… even when I was possessed by the witch; and thanks for helping D.G."

Ambrose nodded. "I would do it all over again."

Az stood by the door of the library hovering, one last thing on her lips and mind. "Oh, and Ambrose… just because my mother broke your heart doesn't mean - AHHH!" Azkadellia fell to the floor, clutching her head in pain. The Emerald was glowing like a beacon. Ambrose ran to her side, "Oh, Az, please hold on…" He looked down the hall and called to a maid, "Please, get the Queen!"

Ambrose was pacing outside Azkadellia's room, trying to not look frantic. Raw was inside with the Queen, D.G., and others, performing healing magic. From what he could gather, the stress that the witch had put on Az's brain had aged it beyond what anyone knew. It was almost as if she had the pocked and broken brain of an old woman instead of the young woman she was supposed to be. The Emerald's power would help her some… but her magic, her inner magic was breaking down and the Queen feared that her lifespan would not be as long as other magical beings in the O.Z. "She's dying slowly." The Queen said to an almost inconsolable D.G.

"I'm sorry… she will have many, many years... but not nearly as many left as you and I, my dear… I'm so sorry." D.G. fell into her mother's arms "My sister..."

Ambrose, who didn't know the fate of his daughter's shortened life was still pacing about the hall, worried as any father would be, when Cain strode up, looking ever the Tin Man ready for battle. "Is the Princess alright, Gl- Er, Ambrose. Sorry, I can't seem to get used to that."

Ambrose shook his head." I'm not sure. All I know is that she's sick. Whatever the witch did while she was possessing her is irreversible."

Cain nodded. "It's too bad; I guess that will set D.G. up to take the throne then, if Azkadellia is too weak."

Ambrose bristled and muttered, "It should be my girl taking the throne… not... her..."

"What?" Cain said, looking at Glitch with puzzlement.

"Nothing. Guess I'm still not wired correctly."

"Yeah, guess not." Cain said, looking forward. "I'm not going to Central City after all; I'm staying here working castle security."

Ambrose wouldn't look at him. "I suppose the Royal Family could use a good man like you standing guard."

"You could say that. I just thought it might do me some good to be here with my friends. It was you, after all, telling me to 'have a heart' - and with Jeb as my second in command, it's like having a family." Cain said, trying to prod the old Glitch into awaking.

"Family. I wonder what that means, anyways. I don't think I ever had one." Ambrose said. Just then Her Majesty came out of the room "Ambrose, may I speak to you for a moment?" Ambrose rose. "Excuse me, Mr. Tin Man."


	3. Chapter 3

Ambrose returned from Azkadellia's chambers looking paler than usual. Cain, who was waiting for the advisor outside, caught his shoulder before he could run away again. "Ambrose, what's the matter?"

Ambrose turned to him and shook his head, "Nothing. Cain, I- Azkadellia is in worse shape than we all thought, she's dying. She won't be fit to rule, ever. So...I think I may take my leave as Royal Advisor."

Cain was shocked, he had never seen Glitch, well Ambrose, look so upset, so shaken and he wanted to help him somehow. He knew there had to be more to this than Glitch was letting on, why would he leave a position he dearly loved just because of Azkadellia? "Why though, Ambrose? D.G. still needs you, and the Queen surely -"

Ambrose's eyes sparked with anger. "THE QUEEN HAS NEVER NEEDED ME, SHE DOESN'T NEED ME NOW, NOR WILL SHE EVER! I'M MERELY A PET TO HER AND EVERYONE ELSE!" He stormed down the hall, long braided coat swaying behind him as he ran. Cain was dumbfounded, he felt lost on this new side of Glitch - his friend was in pain and he had no idea how to stop it.

Raw came out of Azkadellia's bedroom then and put his hand on Cain's shoulder. "Cain, want to help Glitch...Glitch in much pain...heart broken...feels that no one will ever care about him. Cain cares, though. Raw knows."

Cain nodded "I do, Raw. I just don't know how to help. You, D.G. and Ambrose… helped me when I thought no one could. I just want to return the favor."

Raw nodded solemnly, "You know how Cain, you just have to find it."

Cain laughed. "Boy, you psychics sure are good for not beating around the bush. Thanks."

Ambrose was in his workshop, the one the Queen had given him many years ago for all his inventions... it was filled with so many half finished things, all left undone by him when Azkadellia began her hostile takeover and removed part of his brain. He picked up something that looked to be a doll, completely made out of shining silver, he touched a button on her back and she began to dance across a table in a beautiful ballet. He smiled as she made her way to the end of the workshop table and teetered on the edge, but spun away, never dancing off.

"You are pretty brilliant, aren't you?" Cain said from the doorway, watching him.

"Cain? I didn't hear you come in." He turned off the doll and she sat in her position on the table. "I'm sorry about blowing up at you like that; I've had a lot on my mind lately since getting it back."

Cain nodded, "I know the feeling. Look, you don't have to tell me what happened if you don't want to, but it might help if you talked about it."

Ambrose sighed and went over to uncover a machine that had a big glass tube viewer on it, similar to the one the evil Azkadellia used for sucking and viewing memories "You really want to know? I'll show you." He placed a clear crystal chip in the machine from a box sitting near it and a scene started to play.

"Ambrose, Ambrose! Come catch me, Ambrose!" Her light and airy voice called from behind a tree. She was beautiful, dark hair billowing around her in curls, wearing a pale yellow dress that seemed to flow around her, making her look like a nymph or some sort of angel.

Ambrose was smiling, blindfolded and feeling his way through the massive garden "I'm coming, Glenda, you can't hide forever…" He caught her up in his arms, lifting her off of her feet and spinning her round "I've gotten you, my love, now what?"

She giggled like a shy girl and pulled the blindfold from his eyes. "Come, I've made us a picnic." She led him by the hand to a beautiful white blanket under a massive willow tree in a clearing, which was laden with all sorts of goodies. "So, my love, when I am crowned queen, will you take your place at my side?" She said as he sat beside her.

"Hmm…" Ambrose said, picking up a exotic looking fruit and placing it to the princess's lips. "I think it can be arranged, my dear, if only you promise to dance with me until sunrise."

"Oh, Ambrose... of course, of course." She smiled at him lovingly and kissed him softly.

He reached into the pocket of his coat and retrieved something shining and silver. "For you, my future queen." He sat it on the blanket and it began to dance.

"OH, Ambrose! It is magnificent, where do you come up with these things?"

"You inspire me." He said, kissing her gently and leaning her back into the white blanket.

The scene faded away and Glitch, well, Ambrose took the chip out of the machine. "Azkadellia is my daughter… it happened before the Queen meet Ahamo and was married. I stayed the Queen's Advisor only because of her." Ambrose would not meet Cain's eyes, he didn't want Cain to see his tears.

Cain moved to stand in front of Ambrose and he put his hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, I wish there was something I could do -"

Ambrose placed his lips to Cain's so fast that Cain didn't have time to react for a moment, then after a few seconds his lips parted and he let the other man explore his mouth. He closed his eyes, giving into the sensation of the kiss. It seemed to long since Cain had had something this intimate…and he was enjoying it. All too quickly Cain realized that this was Ambrose doing this and pushed himself away.

"Wait, Glitch, stop. I can't, you're my friend." Cain backed away, looking confused.

Ambrose's face screwed up in anger, "You know, you may have fooled Glitch with your little… flirtations, but you can't fool me. I'm no longer a half-wit. You want to play games? Fine… just go. I don't need anymore of this from you or anyone." Ambrose turned his back on Cain, hoping the other man would just take a hint and leave.


End file.
